Magnetic game employing a propelled disk and a runway



E. M. SIRE MAGNETIC GAME EMPLOYING A PROPELLED DISK AND A RUNWAY Filed May 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 6 47% 2;. JM BY ATTORNEY E. M. SIRE Aug; 24, 1965 MAGNETIC GAME EMPLOYING A PROPELLED DISK AND A RUNWAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1964 Ell-E mks INVENTOR.

/ @114 KMQ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,2tl2,428 MASNETIC GAME EMPLQYTNG A @RUPELLED DESK AND A RUNWAY Edouard M. Sire, 69 W. 9th St, New York, NE. Filed May '14, Idd, Ser. No. 367,337 3 Claims. (Ql. 273l2o) This invention relates to magnetic games.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a magnetic game which enables a disk or the like to be propelled from a starting position towards a scoreboard so as to produce a score depending upon the skill of the operator. The game provides an upwardly directed runway and precise scoring means at one end thereof, the scoreboard comprising a series of permanent magnets which will attract and arrest the propelled disk in one of various pro-determined positions so as to indicate a score.

An important feature of this invention is the simplified release of the propelled disk after it has indicated a score, the disk being released by causing magnetic disengagement thereof through physical withdrawal of the arresting magnets and the disk automatically returning by gravitational action to its starting position whence it may be again struck by the same or a competing player, to indicate another score.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective View of my game;

FlGURE 2 is a rear perspective view thereof;

FEGURE 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional View thereof; and

FEGURE 4 is a further enlarged cross-sectional View as taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

The game comprises a base or support It} adapted to rest upon a table or the like. Disposed on base in and extending upwardly in respect thereto is runway ll. Both the base and the runway may be formed of a plastic or any other non-ferrous material. Runway 11 is formed with a depressed chute 12 the sides of which serve as guides as will hereinafter be explained.

The forward end of runway 11 is provided with a slot 13 from which extends a spring striker arm M which may be secured at the underside of runway 11, as by plate 15. Striker arm ltd may be of flat spring steel of the type generally used as the main spring in large clocks. Striker arm 14 normally extends perpendicularly upwardly from runway 11 and is capable of rearward cocking as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The rearward end of runway 11 is provided with substantially vertically arranged indicia marks on the chute 12. Such indicia may comprise a series of separate, spaced score marks 16 which are graduated as to numerical value. In other words, the lowermost mark may comprise a score mark of the lowest numerical value While the succeeding marks may have higher values. A backstop or limit 17 is also provided.

The game employs a magnetic disk 18 which is of permanent magnet material and polarized on the respective faces thereof. Thus the top face may be north, and the bottom may be south. The fabrication of the magnet is conventional. The material may be Alnico or may be of the ferrite type which is bonded by a ceramic. Such permanent magnets may be polarized on the opposite fiat faces thereof as described in my prior Patent No. 3,090,622, dated May 21, 1963. In a satisfactory operating embodiment, the disk 18 was about in diameter, about Ms" thick and weighed about /2 ounce.

As will be observed in FIGURE 1, chute 2.2 converges at its forward end so as to provide a seat for the disk 18,

BibZAZb Patented Aug. 24, 1%65 such seat being disposed so that the striker arm 14 can strike the disk and propel it up the runway 11.

Means are provided to arrest a moving disk on any one of the score marks 16. Such means comprise a series of permanent magnets 28 all of which are bodily movable as one unit towards and away from the scored or rearward end of the runway ll. Said rearward end constitutes a disk attracting area as will be hereinafter made clear.

The game includes a lower movable arm 21 which operates somewhat as a lever, being pivoted on pin 22 to car 23. The forwarding end of lever-like movable arm 21 is formed with a finger 24. A spring 25 is connected to finger 2 and normally maintains arm 21 disposed against the underside of runway 11. A linkage comprising wire 26 is also connected to finger 24 and terminates in finger-hold member 27 at the forward end of base 19. it will be recognized that movable arm 21 may be swung away and thus withdrawn from runway 11 by pulling finger-hold member 27, against the action of spring 25. When the finger-hold member 27 is released spring 25 serves as a return spring for the movable arm.

Movable arm 21 supports a series of permanent magnets 23 disposed in complementary relation to the score marks if. in other words, the permanent magnets 20 are normally maintained adjacent and directly under one of the score marks 16. However, since the rearward portion of movable arm 21 is movable in a vertical plane away from the indicia area, an arrested playing disk will be released as will hereinafter be explained.

The action of my game is as follows:

A playing disk is is first deposited on its seat in front of striker arm 14 as illustrated by the dotted lines of FIG- URE l. Thereafter striker arm 14; is manually retracted or cocked as illustrated by the dotted lines of FIGURE 3. It is then released so that it strikes the disk 18 and propels it up the runway it within chute 12 Depending upon the force with which it is struck, the playing disk will travel up the runway guided by the sides of the chute, and will most likely reach the indicia or disk attracting area.

Suppose, for example, the playing disk 18 is so skilfully struck as to dissipate its propelled energy at about the topmost indicia mark. The corresponding arresting permanent magnet disposed on arm 21 will cause the disk to be firmly arrested in the predetermined exact position dictated by the disposition of the arresting magnet. It may here be explained that the arresting magnet 2t) will be polarized in the same way or disposition as is playing disk 13. Thus, arresting magnets 2i will likewise be north on their top faces and south on their bottom faces. it will be found that the arresting magnets appear to have a seizing effect on the playing disk so as to cause said playing disk to stop precisely within a score mark 16 and without any ambiguity.

Pursuant to the linkage which includes wire 2-5, the disk lid may be simply released whereupon it will travel by gravity back to its normal seat. This is effected by pulling the finger-hold member 27 so as to withdraw movable arm 21, resulting in the withdrawal of the arresting magnets whereupon the rearward end of the runway no longer serves as a disk attracting area and the playing disk is released and slides down by gravity to its normal position at the site of the striker arm. A competing player may then attempt to achieve a better score, going through the same actions as above described.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my game but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

l. A magnetic game comprising a permanent magnet disk polarized on the respective faces thereof, an upwardly extending runway along which said disk is adapted to be propelled, a spring striker arm at the forward end of said runway for striking the disk and propelling it up said runway, a series of separated score marks on the rearward end of said runway, a movable arm below'said rearward end, a series of permanent magnets secured to said movable arm in complementary disposition to said score marks whereby each one of said permanent magnets is normally adjacent to one of said score marks so that a disk which stops near one of said score marks will be arrested and fixed into a score position by a permanent magnet, and means to withdraw said movable arm so as to release an arrested disk and permit it to slide down said runway by gravity and back to said striker arm.

2. A magnetic game according to claim'l and wherein said movable arm is pivotally secured below said runway so that the rearward portion of said movable arm may travel in a vertical plane toward or away from said rearward end of said runway, a linkage including return spring means extending from said movable arm towards the site of said striker arm, and a finger hold member at the forward end of said linkage for actuating said movab-le arm against the action of said spring means for releasing an arrested disk.

3. A magnetic game comprisinga magnetic disk, a runway along which said disk is adapted to be propelled,

propelling means for said disk at one end of said runway,

a disk attracting area at the other end of said runway, said disk attracting area being operative to magnetically arrest said disk in at least one pre-deterrnined position of arrest, means to render said disk attracting area inoperative for releasing an arrested disk, said runway extending upwardly from said one end to said other end whereby a propelled disk will travel up said runway and when released trom said disk attracting area will return by gravity to said propelling means, said disk attracting area comprising a plurality of separate permanent magnets normally disposed adjacent to the underside of said runway, and scoring indicia on said runway and complementary to said disk attracting area permanent magnets, said means to render said disk attracting area inoperative comprising a linkage extending between said one end of said runway and said disk attracting area permanent magnets and operative upon actuation to withdraw said permanent magnets from their said normal disposition so as to release said disk from magnetic attraction thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 852,085 4/077 Thomas 273-426 FOREIGN PATENTS 686,129 5/64 Canada.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAGNETIC GAME COMPRISING A PERMANENT MAGNET DISK POLARIZED ON THE RESPECTIVE FACES THEREOF, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING RUNWAY ALONG WHICH SAID DISK IS ADAPTED TO BE PROPELLED, A SPRING STRIKER ARM AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID RUNWAY FOR STRIKING THE DISK AND PROPELLING IT UP SAID RUNWAY, A SERIES OF SEPARATED SCORE MARKS ON THE REARWARD END OF SAID RUNWAY, A MOVABLE ARM BELOW SAID REARWARD END, A SERIES OF PERMANENT MAGNETS SECURED TO SAID MOVABLE ARM IN COMPLEMENTARY DISPOSITION TO SAID SCORE MARKS WHEREBY EACH ONE OF SAID PERMANENT MAGNETS IS NORMALLY ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID SCORE MARKS SO THAT A DISK WHICH STOPS NEAR ONE OF SAID SCORE MARKS WILL BE ARRESTED AND FIXED INTO A SCORE POSITION BY A PERMANENT MAGNET, AND MEANS TO WITHDRAW SAID MOVABLE ARM SO AS TO RELEASE AN ARRESTED DISK AND PERMIT IT TO SLIDE DOWN SAID RUNWAY BY GRAVITY AND BACK TO SAID STRIKER ARM. 